Portable radio receiver



Nov. l, 1949 F. A. ZIBELMAN PORTABLE RADIO RECEIVER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 14, 1946 mmf( H. zug

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NOV. l, 1949 F, ZIBELMAN 2,487,013

PORTABLE RADIO RECEIVER Filed Nov. 14, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f 'f INI/Emol@ Patented Nov. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE RADIO RECEIVER Frank A. Zlbelman, Chicago, Ill.

Application November 14, 1946, Serial No. 709,732

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in portable radios.

More particularly, the invention has reference to a radio built into a casing or housing, the latter having the form of a cradle type telephone.

An object of the invention is the provision of a portable radio in this form which will be compact, and of a substantially small structure, permitting the same to be placed upon a desk, lamp table, or other supporting pedestal for convenient and immediate use by the user.

Another and equally important object of the invention is the provision of a radio having a station selector dial which simulates the dial of an automatic telephone and which selector dial, in its relationship to the enclosure of the radio instruments, is in position for convenient and ready use.

A radio having its housing or cabinet simulating that of a telephone of the cradle type, must, because of the size of the cabinet, be compact to permit its ready assembly within the cabinet. To facilitate this assembly, one of the objects of the invention is to provide an arrangement for mounting the speaker directly beneath the selector switch and dial and utilizing the periphery of the speaker assembly as a means for supporting the selector switch and dial.

Still another object of the invention resides in the manner of mounting the speaker assembly within the cabinet.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and easily operated arrangement, whereby reception may be had through the telephone receiver or through the speaker assembly,

it being the object to control the reception through this telephone receiver or speaker assembly by a switch assembly in turn controlled by l the telephone receiver.

from its cradle;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the speaker assembly;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the radio apparatus removed from its cabinet; and

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a proposed selector switch employed in the invention.

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The several objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings and in which a mounting plate is indicated at I0. This mounting plate includes cushion feet I I attached thereto in any suitable manner, whereby to support the mounting plate IU above a supporting surface in a manner such as to prevent scratching of the surface.

On this mounting plate I0 are arranged the various electronic instruments indicated as a complete unit at i2, the radio circuit of which may be of any approved or standard circuit in which there is preferably utilized, in lieu of a variable condenser, what is known as padder condensers, which latter condensers are well known in the art and are of the type which, when adjusted, become xed to a predetermined wavelength.y

This circuit, for the purpose of illustrating this invention, may bel said to comprise an antenna circuit and an oscillating circuit and the circuit preferably includes a speaker assembly I3 and a volume switch Ill, the latter including an operating shaft I5. The speaker assembly includes a cone It having an annular flange I'I. Fixed to this flange I'I, as at I8, is a cross bar I9. This cross bar i9 supports a selector switch 20 of any approved type or standard construction, which includes a shaft 2l. This shaft 2l projects through a sleeve 22, the exterior of which is threaded. A disc 24 is mounted on the sleeve 22 and spaced from the bar I9 by a nut 25. Fixed to this disc 24 is a plate 26, which plate 2B simulates the outer dial plate of a standard automatic telephone, the plate 26 being provided with spaced iinger openings 21. The shaft 2I projects into this plate 26 as at 28 and has secured to the end thereof, by means of a set screw 29, a collar 30. The collar is formed as an integral part of the selector plate 2B, whereby upon rotation of this plate 2B, the shaft 2l and the disc 24 will rotate therewith, the shaft 2| being rotated to actuate the selector switch 20.

I have not illustrated the internal structure of this selector switch, as such structure does not constitute per se any part of the present invention. For purposes oi illustration of this invention, it need only be pointed out that such switch should include a shaft such as the shaft 2| for rotating a contact carrying disc 2 I diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 6, the contacts 22' of which plate are arranged in pairs with each contact of a pair adapted to engage a fixed bridging conductor plate 23 upon positioning of a particular pair of contacts upon said conductor plate by movement of the plate 26, the contacts having connection in any suitable manner to their respective circuit wires 24 of the radio circuit.

The mounting plate I0, with the speaker assembly I3 and radio parts mounted thereon, is assembled within a cabinet 3i. In the present instance, this cabinet 3l is in the form of a desk telephone of the cradle type, including opposite walls 32 and 33 slanting inwardly toward each other and merging together to provide a cradle 34 on which a receiver 35 is adapted to be supported.

The speaker assembly i3 is mounted upon the plate I by means of a bracket 36 attached to this speaker assembly I3 in any suitable manner as by welding or the like and secured to the plate I0 by means of screws 3l.

When the speaker assembly is thus mounted' on the plate iii, the entire unit is arranged within the cabinet 3i by positioning the disc M and selector plate 2B within the connes of a depending collar 38 formed in the'wall 32 of the cabinet 3l. In arranging this assembly, the shaft I is projected through an opening 3Q formed in the base portion 4t of the iront wall 32. On the projectin'g 'end portion of the shaft i5 is a inger knob 4I. Carried by a wall of the cabinet 3| and overlying the sloping iront wall 32 is a limiting finger 42 arrangedI in the line of path of movement of the marginal edge of the selector plate 26, in which the openings 2'! are formed.

In the base of the rear wall 33 is formed an opening 43, through which the power cord lili projects for connection with a wall socket (not shown).

Within the cradle Sii is arranged a supporting bracket 45 carrying a switch assembly it incorporated in the circuit of the radio unit I 2 by conductors 4l. This switch assembly 136 includes oppositely disposed leaf springs (i8 and an intermediate leaf spring 49 adapted to normally have contact with the upper of the leaf springs 48 when the receiver 35 is removed from the cradle 312:. In opposite end portions of the cradle 35 are arranged mounting blocks 5t, each carrying cushioning means for the receiver 35 in the form of plunger pins 5I, having associated therewith springs 52 to resist their movement in a downward direction under the weight of the receiver 35. I utilize one of thesev plunger pins 5I to actuate the intermediate leaf spring 49 whereby to disengagel the same from the upper of the spring leaves 43 and move the intermediate leaf spring i9` into contact with the lower of the leaf springs d8', in which position the speaker assembly I3 is in circuit with the radio receiving unit I2 for reception through the speaker assembly I3 insteadof through the receiver 35. The receiver 35 is connected by the conductors 53 into the circuit of the radio unit I2.

On the disc 24, beneath the openings 2`I', there may be printed, engraved, or embossed station identiiication indicia so that the user may be in a position to select a station he desires to listen to. This is done by placing the finger in the opening 2l, through which the indicia of the station desired appears, and rotating the selector plate 26 until the nger engages the limiting finger ft2, to which position of the plate 25 the selected station will be receivable.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that when the receiver 35 is on the cradle 3, the speaker assembly I3 will be in circuit with the radio unit I2. However, when the receiver 35 is not upon the cradle 34, the receiver 35 will be in circu-it in the radio'=` unit I2..y This permits one to use the ear phones in lieu of the speaker assembly I3. This arrangement is especially useful in places Where reception is interfered with because'4 of surrounding noises or in lounges, hospitals or hotels Where the use of the speaker assembly'IS might disturb those nearby. In other wordsfthearrangement gives to the user individual selection and reception of radio entertainment'.

While I have illustrated and described the preferredi form of construction for carrying my' invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, donot wish to be limited tothe precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such' variations and modifications as come within thersc'op'e' of the appended claim. n

Having thus described my invention, whatlI claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A portable radio receiving set comprising a cabinet formed to simulate a telephone-stand ofv the cradle type havinga' irontwall inclinedrear-- wardly from the base thereof and provided with an opening in' said wall, a loudspeaker mounted within said cabinet and directly behind said opening with its diaphragm substantially parallel to said inclined face, a tunable radio receiving apparatus housed within said cabinet, a tuning con-A trol unit mounted within said cabinet and coni nscted to said apparatus to adjust the same to receive desired frequencies, a perforate'statiom selector dial mounted to lie adjacent said opening and substantially flush with said inclined wall, and a mechanical connection between said: dial and said tuning control, whereby sound produced by said loudspeaker will be directed substantially inthedirection oi a person in position tooper'ate said station-selector dial', a receiver unit simulating a telephone handset removably supported upon said cabinet, and a switch positioned beneath saidunit and adaptedl for operation by the weight of said receiver unit, said'switch beingconnected with said receiving apparatus, said receiver unit and said loudspeaker for alternatively connecting one or the other of the latter respectively with said receiving apparatus When sardi receiver unit is removed from or replaced in its supported position on said cabinet.

FRANK A. ZIBELMAN;

REFERENCESZ CITED The `following references file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS are of record in the 

